The Fulford DNA project at FamilyTreeDNA has now documented three different Fulford family lines.
DNA tests have proven a common ancestor between John Fulford who settled in Carteret County NC prior to 1700, Jonathan Fulford from Connecticut, a British Loyalist, who immigrated to Canada after the Revolutionary War and James Fulford, born 1807 in Scotland, who also immigrated to Canada. The Fulfords who settled in Cortez, FL came from the John Fulford family in Carteret County.
The Fulfords who migrated to South Alabama and Indiana in the mid 1800s are supposed to be part of the Carteret County family but we are still waiting on a DNA test result to document this.
The project has also confirmed the Fulford family of Pitt County NC is a separate family line from the Carteret County family. Most of the Fulfords in North Florida and South Georgia came from the Pitt County NC family.
Just recently the DNA project obtained confirmation of a common ancestor between the Fulfords of the "Great Fulford" estate in Great Britain and Fulfords who moved to Australia in the early 1800s. Web page: Fulford DNA Project
Read a report on the genetic history and migration of the Carteret County NC and Cortez, FL Fulford family.
Fulford Family DNA project - 10 reasons to join
First an explanation about Y-DNA testing. Y-DNA testing is a new tool for the genealogist or anyone interested in family history. The Y chromosome is passed from father to son virtually unchanged over the generations. This means only males can be used for this particular DNA test.
A kit is sent to the donor's address for the DNA sample. It's a cheek swab.
Like brushing your teeth. Simple and painless. Mail back to the lab, and tests are then run. It takes about 6 weeks to get your results. Test results establish "marker" numbers. These numbers are compared to other donors and when a match occurs, it is proof positive the two donors have a common ancestor. It's that simple.
Here are the top ten reasons to join (or have your male Fulford spouse, father, brother or cousin join) the Fulford Y-DNA Testing Project:
(1) Each donor represents their particular line in the Fulford Y-DNA Testing Project. Years from now, descendants of your family line will be glad you joined.
(2) With a match(s) of Y-DNA to other Fulford participant(s), the donor(s) will know proof positive they share a common ancestor. The test results don't name the common ancestor, but can predict how many generations back he lived. The more markers tested, the closer the prediction.
(3) Matches of Y-DNA between donor(s) confirms your family lineage. You have proof you are related to others with the Fulford name around the world.
(4) The donor will learn the "Recent Ethnic Origins" = Country where his ancestors lived before coming to the USA. Mine is the United Kingdom.
(5) The donor will learn the Haplogroup of his ancestor. This is his ancient ethnic origins. Mine is Nordic (Vikings).
(6) The donor will receive a certificate from the lab showing his Y chromosome marker numbers. If you wish, you may add your markers to any DNA databank. There are 4-5 of these with over 200,000 test results on file.
Your privacy is guaranteed. Only you can allow your name and/or test results to be shown anywhere.
(7) The donor's DNA sample will be stored by the lab 25 years at no extra cost.
(8) The donor's marker numbers become a part of the Fulford Y-DNA testing project. Hopefully enough will join so that various Fulford lines of descent will become established for the benefit of current and future Fulford researchers.
(9) The donor's lineage will be added to the Fulford DNA website. This is free advertising for the donor's family line, so that present and/or future researchers/cousins might be able to contact each other.
(10) Test results (marker numbers) will last forever, so it's a bit of immortality. Trouble is for those who haven't joined yet, you aren't getting any younger.
If you are a Fulford surname male, please consider participating in this project. You can get information at the following web page: Fulford DNA Project
(Thanks to Cousin William Edward Daniels for the explanation)